- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 27 May 2025 02:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a gruesomely tragic accident, a 32-year-old skydiver, Jade Damarell, died after jumping from 10,000 feet without opening her parachute. The accident took place on April 27 at Shotton Colliery in Durham, only one day after her break-up with her boyfriend, who is also a skydiver. Damarell, who is a professional marketing manager and a very experienced parachutist with over 400 jumps, is believed to have jumped to her death in the solo skydive. Local police and British Skydiving officials have eliminated foul play or mechanical failure of equipment, suggesting that the act was intentional.
A native of Caerphilly in South Wales and born in Hong Kong, Damarell had been staying close to the airfield in an accommodation facility much favored by local skydivers. She was in a relationship with Ben Goodfellow, 26, who is a Nissan factory worker and skydiver as well as a musician.
In a press statement released by SkyHigh Skydiving, where Damarell was a member, the organisation confirmed the death and described it as a suspected intentional act. “All indications from the police and British Skydiving are that this was a deliberate act,” the statement read. “This heartbreaking news has deeply affected all who knew her, and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”
No Equipment Malfunction, Suicide Letter Found
The judicial investigation of Damarell's death uncovered no technical failure. Police authorities confirmed that they found a suicide note at the accident site, said to mention her recent separation. "This wasn't an accident while skydiving, we believe she meant to kill herself," one of her friends said to local media. "She refused to deploy her parachute and fell on her back," he added. A close friend shared that the couple had been together since Christmas, but they broke up several times over the last few months. He said, “Jade had broken it off with Ben a few times before, but Saturday was the first time he ended it. He’s devastated.”
The accident has caused shockwaves within the world of skydiving, where Damarell was both avid and highly skilled. Having performed more than 80 jumps in 2025 alone, she was highly skilled and heavily invested in the sport. The band in which Goodfellow performs also cancelled an upcoming performance in the wake of the tragedy. The authorities are still investigating, but preliminary findings indicate the skydive was not accidental. The accident has raised concerns about the mental and emotional health of participants in stressful and adrenaline-fueled situations such as extreme
